Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-05
THE NATIONAL SOLDIERS HOME
Locate 1t i'm Elysian Park in this
City.


Locate 1t i'm Elysian Park in this
City.
EDITORS HERALD-It seems tolera-
bly, certain that National Soldiers
Home will be shortly established in
California. A large number of towns,
including Oakland, st. Helena, Younts-
vile and Napa, are stirring to get this
important institution located near
each of those several towns. An offer
of three hundred acres has been made
for the location of the "Home" at
Fulton Wells, thirteen miles east of
this city. General Franklin, who is
at the head of the Committee on Loca-
ton of the institution, desires to have
$40 acres of land for the use of the in
stitution, and in some places that
amount of land has been donated for
the use of the "Home."
While $40 acres may have been nee
essary in some States for the support
of such an institution, a much less
amount would be necessary in Los
Angeles county. A hundred acres in
this part of the country is more produc-
tire than the $40 acres donated at
Leavenworth, Kansas; the 500 acres
given at Milwaukee, or the 600 acres
at Dayton. Ohio, for the "Homes" at
those places. In those localities crops
are uncertain, and when produced are
of little value. Frost, hail, flood or
drouth may destroy the crops in Kan
sas, Wisconsin or Ohio, but variety
of crops planted in this section would
yield certain and profitable results.
The city of Los Angeles has tract
of about 400 acres in the north part OF
the municipality called "Elysian
Park" The place has series of
beautiful hills and valleys that can be
made to become very fruitful and at
the same time be fashioned into park
of great beauty. 1t can have gardens
of flowers raised for the market that
would be ornamental as well as profit
able, vegetables of enormous profit,
winding roads and walks among groves
of evergreen trees bordered with hedge
rows and flowers, with ornamental
buildings crowning some of the lower
hills. The tract can be made into a
tropical paradise. 1t is only mile
from the plaza, easy of access
and would be great attrac-
ton to the city. Thousands of
visitors would come to the city to visit
friends at the "Home." These visi-
tors would patronize the railways, ho-
tells and stores of the city, and con-
tribute largely to the volume of
business.
The managers and attaches of the
"Home" could keep the park in order
and save the city large expense an
nually. All those who have familiar
knowledge of the tract, know that it
possesses rare elements that can be
wrought into the most charming fea-
lures of beauty by talented land
scape architect. The climate of this
locality is fine, while the outlooks of
beauty from the hilltops are wide
spread and grand; embracing three
ranges of mountains, the city and all
the great plains, the sea and some of
the islands and twenty villages.
No doubt our citizens who have
plenty of this worlds goods would
donate literally in improving and en-
bellishing this splendid property.
Some of our citizens are warmly in
favor of donating this park to
the Government. What objection
can there be to the donation ?
The site in this city would be near all
the lines of railway, in a land where
fruits are perpetual and provisions
cheap and where the inmates of the
"Home" could have more comforts
than anywhere else in the United
States.
The idea that the institution needed
$40 acres of land is preposterous. In
the letters published in Saturdays
HERALD from various Homes" the
letter from Governor M. r. Patrick, of
Dayton, Ohio, who has charge of the
largest "Home" in the Union, with
45OO inmates, says: eve hare $50
acres of land, and Would be better Oft
Uith less than half" :.
If this Institution, which is 20
wears old, and entertains 1900 persons
does not need half of $50 acres, similar
institution here would need even less,
Elvsian Park would be more than am
pie for its needs. There would be
room i'm the Park for the capitol build
ings of South California AMI the Ma
tional Home besides. The people of
this Coast with but few exceptions
have no idea of the beauty and mag
nitude of some of these "Homes." An
idea of the magnitude of a "Home"
can be gathered from the letter of An
drew J. Smith, Governor of the
"Home" at Leavenworth, Kansas.
He says:
4. NJ. Laurence, Esq, Secretary Board
of Trade, Los angeles, Cal.
DEAR SIR: am in receipt of your
letter of the 10Th inst, and in reply
would say that the land upon which
this branch home is located GAO acres)
was purchased by the city of Leaven.
worth at cost of $72, 900 and donated
to the government. In addition, the
city also donated $50, 900, in payments
of $4,000 per yesr, semi-annually, with
out interest, for the establishment of
grounds.
At present some eighty acres are
used in farming and fruits, and like
number of acres in ornamentation.
About 800 acres are what would be
termed trough land" heavily tim
bered, and admirably adapted to the
comfort and convenience OF the MEM
bers.
Our membership to-day is 1887,
which number is being increased al
most daily by the arrival OF appli-
cants for admission.
The amount expended for the sup
port of the Home, about 5000, 900
per annum, based upon a member
ing the lowest bids for supplies
Leavenworth, other things being
equal, having the preference; in addi-
ton large sums are paid out on pen,
sion and payroll, the greater part of
which finds its way to the adjoining